Lake Averno and the Sybil's cave

The Averno lake it’s the entrance of the hell, as Virgil tell us in the beginning of his masterpiece the Eneide. The identification of this lake as the main door of the hell is due to its origins: The Averno lake is in the mouth of an inactive volcano: in the past, thanks to the volcanic exhalations, the birds which flew over the lake died instantaneously. That’s why the ancient Romans used to call it “Aornon”, which means “place without birds”. Therefore it’s easy to understand why Virgil thought it was a demoniac place, point of connection between the land of the living and of the dead. Nowadays the Averno lake has a beautiful appearance with a charming lakeside, where a lot of people have jogging or have just a walk. Near the lake there’s the Sybil’s cave. The legend tells that this cave it’s linked with the Sybil’s cavern in Cuma.This cave was actually dig into the tuff to allow the passage of the military which arrived with their boats in Portus Julius. Today the cave is guarded by a nice old men called Charon, his nickname comes from his father, who at the beginning of 1900 carried on his back the visitor bringing them to one side to other of the cave.